


Bright Blues

by Hotaru_Mizuno



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fae & Fairies, Fairies, Fairy Arthur, Fantasy, Fluff, Fluffity fluff, Injury Recovery, M/M, Magic, Prince Alfred
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-13
Updated: 2020-05-13
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:13:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24148747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hotaru_Mizuno/pseuds/Hotaru_Mizuno
Summary: Exiled and unwelcome amongst his own people, a fairy by the name of Arthur finds himself on the brink of death, caught in a trap set by humans. When all hope seemed lost for him, he finds himself saved by a human prince called Alfred.
Relationships: America/England (Hetalia)
Kudos: 59





	Bright Blues

**Author's Note:**

> You would think Quarnentine would cuase a spike in how much I write,but the truth is I still write just as much as I used to before this whole pandemic thing. My writing hobby has largely been unaffected to be honest with you, dunno how the heck that works. 
> 
> This is a nice little au I came up with. It's basically a little fantasy medieval au with Arthur as a fairy and Alfred as a human prince. A cute combination if you ask me 
> 
> Enjoy^^

______________

Arthur's whole body was burning.

He let out a pained cry as he tried once more to free himself, but it only made things terribly worse for him. The iron chains around him moved, scathing his fresh, blistering burns and causing even more. Arthur breathed heavily, tears streaming down his face. There was no way he could get out of here.

He was going to die here.

Whatever humans that set this trap would come back some time to find a dead fairy, trapped and burned by their one weakness; iron. What a pity.

Arthur gave a ragged sigh, hissing in pain weakly as he curled in on himself, trying hard to not feel the suffocating pain, the burn that man's creation caused. He was trapped. He was much too weak to use magic to get himself out and powerless to free himself from iron by hand.

Well, he didn't want to die in the dark.

He opened his eyes, ignoring the pain on his forehead and all around. Heavy chains of iron blocked his view, but he could still see his surroundings. The trees and skies of the forest he spent his life in.

Arthur let his body go limp, knowing a lost cause when he saw one. He no longer had the strength to keep fighting. Within minutes, all of his energy would be drawn away. Within minutes, he'd be dead.

He didn't want it to end this way, but he had no other choice. At least he had a good view to keep him company. At least.

As seconds ticked by, the pain began to go numb. He thought absentmindedly about Peter. He had promised to see him again, even if it killed him. Even if he was no longer welcome amongst his people. He felt guilty.  
He pictured Peter's smiling face. So young. So innocent. He hoped he didn't come to face as many regrets as him.

His vision began to blur. He fought to keep his eyes open, afraid to let the trees leave him. He was scared of the dark. He didn't want it yet. Not yet. Please…..

Loud footsteps interrupting his deadly peace. What….who was there…

He tried to find the strength to fight against his heavy eyelids, tried to figure out who was coming, but he just couldn't.

He saw blurry colors….was that a person? He couldn't tell. He watched as the sky got bluer...he'd never seen that insane shade of blue.

He gave one last sigh before his eyes closed.  
He couldn't fight anymore.

All he knew went black.

______________

Warmth.

That's what he first felt. Warmth. The kind he hadn't felt in weeks. Not since...well. Not since he had last been home.

Surely he must be dead.

Next came the stiffness of everything. He couldn't move. He couldn't feel anything. And most of all, he could hear voices. They sounded… unfamiliar. Like humans. What...he shouldn't be hearing that….he should be dead.

Slowly, he began to move his eyelids. They were a lot heavier than he remembered, but slowly, he found he could, only to be attacked instantly by light.

He cringed, moaning a little. Oh God, everything hurt. There was no way he was dead, was there? But then….

He blinked slowly, adjusting his eyes to the world once again. He was in a room. A...human room. _Oh god…_

He was alive. In a human residence. Oh no. No. No.

Fear spread through his mind as he blinked, trying to find the strength to get up, get out, leave, but he couldn't. He couldn't even feel his limbs. He could barely even move his head. Oh God. He was too weak to get himself out. He was stuck here, in the hands of humans.

He looked down, frustrated and fearful of his condition. He was wrapped in bandages everywhere. Well, as far as he could see, meaning his hands and arms. His wounds were attended to…. but why? Most of humanity viewed him as vermin...surely…

He heard footsteps. Oh god!

He began to panic, fearful of humans, fearful of more pain and real death and misery. He begged his body to make himself get up, but all he could do was bury himself farther into the pillows behind him.

He flinched as the door clicked, heart hammering in his chest.

A man walked in. A human man. Arthur's heart leapt in his throat. Oh God. Oh God.

"You're awake." The human spoke, smiling. He had bright, dazzling features, but all that registered was the fact that it was a human, a potentially dangerous human. "Hi, how are you feeling?"

Arthur did not answer, staring in fear. He didn't want to. Not this human. Please.

After a few seconds, the human frowned. "Hey, listen, are you scared? Because you really don't need to be. I'm not here to hurt you, and no one else will, okay? I'm nice!"

Arthur did not react at all. No, he did not trust humans; he didnt care what they tried to say. Almost dying only proved his belief that they only wanted to hurt him. This man was just another human, just another person not to trust.

After a few seconds more of silence, the human sighed, the message sinking in. "Alright, I understand. Just listen, okay? Your wounds are still pretty severe from that trap, so let's try not moving around anymore, just relax. Everything's gonna be fine. You need to recover."

Was….was this advice? For his own benefit? To hell it was. It can't be. But then again, he was right. It was hard enough to move as it is, but Arthur wouldnt dare trust this human's words. He didn't care.

"There's no need to be scared. I only want to help." The human went on, smiling in, perhaps, an attempt to be friendly, to convince the fairy that he was safe, but this attempt was in vain. "I saved you from that trap. I just want to help you and stuff, you know?"

Still silence. The human frowned again, clearly looking disappointed.

"You must be hungry then, right?" The man asked. Hungry? He felt his stomach growl quietly at the thought, thankfully not loud enough for the human to hear. He was hungry… but he couldn't eat what this human could give him. Food needed to come after he left and Arthur escaped.

The silence did nothing to discourage this human. He gave a reassuring grin. "I ordered for the chef here to prepare something for you to eat. I'll go get it for you now, now that I know that you're awake, alright? Just stay here and relax."

Arthur only sat there, frozen as the intruder turned around, walking out of the room. The door closed behind him. Arthur's heart fell as he saw an iron door handle. Shit.

Like hell he was staying here.

Arthur quickly sprang into action, fighting with himself, begging himself to find the strength to get out of bed and get himself as far away from these humans as far as possible. He wasn't going to die, not here, and he wasn't going to stand at the mercy of these terrible humans.

He bit his lip, trying to shake his arms to move more, trying to shift his legs. He felt an itching sort of burn as his legs brushed each other, trying to free themselves from the layers of blankets. Come on! He could do this! He can't stay here! Please-

He finally managed to roll over in the bed,only to fall off over the edge.

Pain exploded in his head as it hit the hard ground, his body going limp once again. His vision began to blur terribly, and Arthur's ears rang. _Bloody hell!_ He had only fallen two feet! What was this?!

He gasped pathetically, trying to find the strength to move his arms again. He moaned, his whole word spinning and his head far too large and painful for his body. It all hurt, and he couldn't move…

The door clicked open again, and fear flooded Arthur's face as the human from before came in, instantly catching sight of the weak little fairy on the ground.

"Hey! What happened?!" The human said, panic and concern filling his voice. He hastily placed the food tray he had on a table, rushing to him.

 _No! He didn't want this human anywhere near him! Go away! Please go away!_ He flinched back as the human crouched down to his level.

"Don't come anywhere near me!" Arthur spat, voice hoarse and painful. He began coughing at once,his throat dry and agonizing.

The human stopped short at once, frozen about a foot away from the fairy. "Listen, please, you need to get back up into bed! You're not going to recover like this, if you keep doing this you might just kill yourself. I only have your health in mind, just please-"

Arthur didn't believe a word of it. "No! Stay away from me!" He said pathetically, trying hard to get back up, get as far away as he can from the human, but his strength is just not there, and his head still hurts so bloody much, it was just so horrible and pointless.

The human shifted closer, holding his hand out, ignoring how Arthur flinched, so terrified of him. "Look, you're gonna pass out if you keep pushing yourself like this. I'm going to be serious, if you don't let me help you I'm going to have to order the doctors to sedate you, understand? Please."

Arthur breathes desperately, room spinning and ears ringing horribly. He realizes dreadfully that the human is right. He will pass out, he recognizes this. But still, that meant accepting the humans help, letting the human touch him, submitting to a human's care. Humans hate faires. They hunted them for sport, they drove them out of their homes and blamed them for everything that went wrong in their "perfect" little world. He just couldn't let all of those dangerous, destructive creatures keep him caged. He can't. _Can't._

The human took notice of how the fairy had frozen, or at least, stopped trying to back away. He took this chance to smile, another attempt to look friendly. "I'm not going to hurt you. You have no reason to be scared of me. You're here to get better and be safe. You're under my protection. I promise."

Arthur forced himself to listen, taking note of how sincere the human seemed. It doesn't seem to be a trick or ruse of some sort. But even still, Arthur couldn't find it in himself to trust a human. It was because of humans that he was even here, having so narrowly escaped death. He remembered his Queen's sharp words, the tales and warnings of all humans have done,of all Arthur had seen humans do, and though he now hates his Queen, he still remembers these words very well.

"Please." The human repeats one last time.

Slowly, Arthur forced himself to relax, giving in to exhaustion and pain. He collapses on the floor, gasping pathetically.

The human is there immediately. Arthur tenses up rather violently as the human's large, tanned hands come into contact with his body. He looks at the human in fear, in attempted strength, in attempted warning, but it does nothing to help himself.

"I'm going to pick you up and put you back on the bed alright?" The human said carefully, quietly, and at the same time, warmly, as if he wanted to assure Arthur he was one hundred percent safe. Arthur swallows a huge lump in his throat, cringing at the pain, hating how weak he was, and slowly, nodded.

Arthur's heart banged in his ears in unbearable fear as he let a human pick him up bridal style. He went ridged like a wooden board, every muscle screaming at him from more than just pain. He hated this. He was praying the human wasn't about to hurt him.

But the human was slow and gentle. He only held on to Arthur long enough to softly deposit him on the bed. Arthur was breathing heavily the entire time, limbs tight and eyes never leaving the human. He couldn't help but gasp in relief as he was released, and it was a lot more than pain.

"Better now?" The human asked, warm, patient smile still there. Arthur gave a short nod, not taking his eyes off the human. It was going to take a lot more than that to soothe Arthur's fear. He's seen what humans were capable of, even the nicest looking ones.

"Good." The human replied. "Anyways, I brought ya food!" He got up quickly to grab the food tray, Arthur staring at him in a confused, fearful daze.

He flinched as the human came close again, watching as a silver tray was dropped on his lap. He observed it, surprised to find something he could not only eat, but enjoy. It was covered in sweet fruits and food; the kind fairies thrived on.

He didn't think humans would know what fairies ate. Why would they care? Arthur simply stared in astonishment. He hadn't seen this much fruit in one place since he left home.

Arthur seemed to have been staring for too long, because the human piped up again. "Hey what's wrong? Isn't this what fairies eat?" He perked up, making the fairy flinch back. Why did he seem so excited? "Do ya think it's poisoned or something?"

Arthur opened his mouth in confusion, wondering just what the hell was going on, until the human reached over and grabbed a blueberry, swiftly popping it in his mouth. He chewed, grinning brightly. "See?" He said, pointing at his mouth as he talked and chewed at the same time. "Not poisoned. It's for you. Just eat."

Arthur stared, not knowing what to think. He had just openly proved that he wasn't trying to kill him the first chance he got. This was….Arthur just didn't know. Why was a human being so careful? So kind? He just could not understand. This wasn't how humans treated his kind, and Arthur was so confused and scared it was driving him up the wall.

He felt his stomach growl again as he eyed the very sweet looking bread. He was so hungry. _He didn't want to strave._

He apprehensively took a slice of bread, biting off a corner. What greeted him was the best bread he had tasted in so long. Oh God.

His face went slack at once, replaced by a desire to eat until his mouth fell off his face. He quickly tore his way into the bread, not daring to stop, not daring to think. He just hadn't gotten such a meal in so long.

He's about to tear his way into the assortment of berries when the human spoke again. "Wow. You were hungry weren't you? I guess fairies really do eat nothing but sweets."

Arthur froze as the human talked, very unsure what to do to assess his presence. Was he really just watching him eat, and so passively too? He remembered once, how he had heard one of his kind scoff, claiming he heard a human call them a freak for their eating habits. Why was the human not only passive but…. fascinated?

Arthur paused, the situation beginning to weigh back down on him. What did this human want with him? Did he want him alive? Or was he just fattening him up? He had been ready to face death before, but now that he was alive again, for now, he couldn't...after all, he still had so much to do. He still had a promise to fulfill.

He cleared his throat. "Why am I here?" He asked quietly.

The human smiled again. Arthur's frown dipped. He had never seen a human smile so much. It was strange and…. "I saved you from that trap; you remember that right?" He said.

It was disturbing how sharp the memory was in his mind. Arthur tried to ignore the sinking feeling it gave him. He was more focused on the possibility of not dying right now. "Why?" He asked simply.

"Because I couldn't just leave you there, could I?" The man asked.

Arthur narrowed his eyes a little. "I'm very surprised you didn't. Wouldn't you have wanted to finish the job? It was humans who set that trap in the first place."

The man actually frowned. "I know that was a human trap, but you can take my word for it that neither I or anyone else in this town set that trap."

"Your word?" Arthur asked carefully, not considering it to be true for one second.

"Please just trust me. I know you don't have very much reason too, but if it weren't for me, you wouldn't be alive. Doesn't that count for anything?"

Arthur eyed the human, watching his every move. He didn't seem….to be lying. But he mustn't be fooled so easily. "Why am I alive then? Who are you? What do you want?"

The human sighed. "Cut it easy with the interrogation, you're safe here. I'll explain everything the best I can alright?"

Well that was one good sign. This man was willing to give him as many answers as he wanted. At least he had that. "Who are you?" He repeated, making sure this human knew that Arthur wasn't going to trust or let his guard down that easily.

"My name is Alfred." The human said, giving another smile. "I'm the heir to the throne in this kingdom."

Oh God. A prince even. "Am I supposed to believe a prince of humans saved my life?" Authority was worse than just any humans. After all, they're the ones that made hunting his kind just for fun legal. They're the ones who condoned cruelty to his kind.

"Yes?" Alfred answered, and all the sudden, just like that, he was serious. It was jarring to Arthur how quickly he could do that. "Listen, I'm not that kind of a person alright? I don't want you or fairies or any magical creatures to keep being harmed like this. That's why I'm all the way out here in the middle of nowhere okay? I'm trying to put a stop to all of this."

Arthur stayed silent. He was more than a little taken aback. This human, Alfred, wanted….peace? That can't be right. That cannot be right. "You want...to put a stop to human's cruelty against us?" He repeated, not believing what he had heard. It was the opposite of what he heard and seen of humans, the opposite of what he always had believed.

"Yeah, and for good." Alfred said. "I hate this kind of stuff okay? I just don't see why the very fact that you're magic makes it okay to pillage and discriminate against you."

Well that was a first. "I've never heard such words come out of the mouth of a human, and especially not one with so much power." Arthur said quietly. Most humans he had the misfortune of meeting wanted his head on a stick or his wings in a jar.

"I know, humans suck, but I wanna change that. I wanna make pillaging magical beings what it should be; a crime!" Alfred said.

Arthur stared. He certainly had the enthusiasm. It was almost blinding. It amazed him this human seemed to care so much. He obviously wasn't joking around, and that much alone was surprising the fairy immensely, but even still, just the idea alone sounded impossible.

"So that's why you saved me?" He said, sounding passive. "You believe what's been done to me is wrong?"

"Yeah, basically." Alfred smiled brightly. "Don't you think it's wrong how humans and magic people treat each other? Don't you agree it's time we stop?"

Arthur didn't answer. Of course he agreed; he would find it nice to never have to fear humans, but that didn't mean them and their people were going to be people he could rely on. "It doesn't matter what I think. Fairies and humans still hate and wage wars. I've seen what you humans do for fun."

Alfred frowned. "What?"

He kind of felt bad for crashing on Alfred's little parade, but his enthusiasm just isn't realistic. "Humans still hate me. They still hate my kind and everything that isn't just as "normal" as them and their little world."

Alfred shook his head. "I know that, but things can't stay that way forever, can they? All of this needs to change and it's not gonna happen unless I do something."

Arthur looked up at him. He certainly had the dedication. He would make a good king someday. But he didn't dare say it out loud. Instead he simply sighed and pushed away the remnants of his tray. "I think I'm done."

Alfred nodded, grabbing the tray before Arthur could. "Anything else you need right now?"

"How long do you plan to keep me here?" Arthur asked.

Alfred frowned. "I'm not keeping you here. You're a guest."

Arthur snorted, experiencing pain at the very action. A fairy, a guest in a human's presence. He had never heard of such a thing. "What?" Alfred said bluntly, furrowing his brow.

"Nothing. Answer my question." Arthur said.

"Until you're back to full health. I'm sure you'll want to get back home soon, right?"

Arthur froze. Oh. Of all the ignorant things to say. Of all the things…..

He sighed. No. He can't tell him. He just can't. "That would be very nice, yes." He muttered. He would love to see home again, the vast plant life, the beautiful, friendly structures. The warm voice of his Queen. And Peter. If only.

"Good. Then you can stay here until you get all your strength back up, alright?" Alfred said. "It won't be forever, right? Just relax for now. I'm gonna go return this tray to the kitchens, okay?"

Arthur nodded at once. "Right."

Alfred nodded, smiling as he walked off to the door. What a strange human.

He took another look at his bandages. He had about three weeks until they fully healed. The time would be a lot shorter if he was under the care of other fairies back home, but he wasn't. He was with humans, and now he was going to be stuck here until he gained his strength back.

He wondered if all the other humans in this area were really so keen to be letting a fairy rest in their village. Was it just Alfred who thought this was all wrong? Surely one meant others but even so, it just sounded so impossible.

He remembered the fear and pain he had felt, dying, surrounded by iron chains, done by humans who wanted to hunt him and his kind. He remembers the wars he had read about, the harsh words of all kinds of magical folk and humans, blindly directed at one another. Did Alfred really think he could change all of that? It sounded impossible. It sounded completely foolish. He sounded like a fool.

And yet that determined spark in his bright blue eyes, the enthused way he spoke, the fascinated way he watched Arthur; he certainly was different, so very different than what Arthur had come to expect. Perhaps he had a chance….?

No. He can't. It was easy enough to imagine a handful of humans being peaceful with magic in this way, but all of them? It just could not happen. He was sure of it.

_____________________

For the next couple of days, the fairy stayed confined to his bed. Too afraid to interact with other humans and too weak to leave, he stayed in his bed, floating in and out of sleep. He ate as much as he could of what Alfred brought him.

He tried to be somewhat polite and listen to what Alfred had to say or asked. It was mostly about how he was feeling or something related. Once or twice he would ask something about himself, about fairies, and it astonished him how curious the human seemed.

"Don't you have wings or something?" Alfred had chosen to ask today. "Don't fairies have wings?"

Arthur nodded a little. He lay back on the pillows propping him up behind him. "All of us have a pair, yes."

"That's cool, but where are they? I don't see any."

"I hid them to make it harder to be discovered if I was found by humans." Arthur said. It wasn't too effective; seeing as his pointy ears and petite form were good clues too, but it gave him precious few seconds to determine escape. It had turned out to be useless in the long run, and now he couldn't even use them, seeing as he didn't have enough magic or strength to fly.

"So like, can you call them back?"

"I can't. I'm too weak right now. The iron drains my strength. Without it I can't perform magic."

"That sucks." Alfred said, look disappointed. "I bet it'll be cool to be able to fly. Really cool."

"It is, yes. It's really quite extraordinary." Arthur mummered. He did like flying, he did love the kind of feeling it gave him. It was the one thing he didn't mind doing on his own for now on. He liked solitary flying.

"I've always wanted to fly." Alfred said.

"Really?" Arthur asked. To be quite honest, he wasn't sure what limited what humans wanted to discover. The ability to journey the skies seemed too far out of their nature.

"Yeah. I used to draw pictures of me with a pair of bird wings when I was little." Alfred said.

That was a little endearing to hear, Arthur admitted to himself. He could imagine it. He had never imagined he would be talking like this with a human. It was so odd and he just still wouldn't let his guard down. He was still very weary of the rest of the humans Alfred said ran this building, and the ones in this village.

"Oh! Um, can I ask you something?" Alfred asked.

"You already have been. All day." Arthur said wearily.

"Oh yeah. But listen. Have you been sleeping alright?"

Arthur raised an eyebrow. Where was this going? "Why?"

"The staff have been telling me you've been making noises in your sleep. Like, you were moaning. Like if you were in distress. Are you alright? Do you need to talk about it?" Alfred looked at him with concern.

No. Alfred didn't need to know. It was none of his business. He didn't want to tell him. Not a human. Not even this human. "I've been sleeping fine."

"Really? It sounds like you've been having nightmares or something." Alfred frowned. "You really okay?"

Arthur nodded quickly. This human didn't need to know about his troubles. He wasn't quite ready to tell this human about his banishment, and the haunting memories that came with it. He almost wanted to tell him how impossible it was for him to go home, but he couldn't find himself willing to do it. He couldn't find himself forming the words to anyone, even if this human seemed so kind and welcoming.

He wished he didn't miss home so much. It was hopeless. It wasn't like he would ever be able to go back. They all forbid his presence. They hated his name.

"Okay." Alfred said, shrugging.

"It's alright. Tell me more about you." Arthur said, deciding he didn't want to talk about himself anymore. It was too much.

Alfred gave one of his unique, bright smiles. "Okay, sure! Whatcha wanna hear?"

Arthur thought for a moment. "What started this? Surely you grew up around the human's hatred?"

"Well yeah kinda, I guess. My father hated them just like everyone else. He wasn't nearly as bad as some people, but he let the laws condoning all the hatred to pass." Alfred said. "It was my instructor, my tutor, who taught me how wrong it was."

"Your tutor?" Arthur repeated.

"He was old and patient and he never was angry at anyone. I didn't really notice how bad it was until he started teaching me. He made me see." Alfred sighed a little. "My father got himself killed with his hatred and how much he didn't know."

Arthur bit his lip a little. He wasn't sure if Alfred would let him pry. He certainly wouldn't let the other do the same. "I'm sorry."

"We weren't close. He was more concerned with being king, with his bloodline and stuff like that. I was just his heir to him."

"May I ask what happened…?"

Alfred shrugged. He didn't seem all too conflicted. "He went with his personal guard to confront a centaur herd that had been giving his kingdom trouble. The rumor was that all they wanted was for the humans in the area to stop cutting down their trees and hunting in their forest."

Arthur frowned. Centaurs never retaliated against humans. They kept to their own, never getting involved with anyone else, whether magic or no. "These rumors were probably right weren't they?"

"Yeah. My old mentor had always said they were peaceful. But my father didn't know, and he didn't care. He followed the old prejudices that they were just vicious beasts. He went in on them completely unprepared. And it cost him his life I guess."

Arthur felt slightly uncomfortable being told this. This seemed a little private. Shouldn't Alfred not be sharing, especially in the company of a fairy? "And your mother?"

"Died giving birth." Alfred said.

"Tough." Arthur commented.

"Yeah." He stayed silent for a few seconds, making Arthur nervous. Was the human uncomfortable, like him? But Alfred simply shrugged his shoulders. "It's fine. It's almost noon. You hungry?"

Arthur still couldn't keep up with the human's friendliness. "Yes, I suppose I am." He hadn't been before, but at the mere mention of food, he had already started thinking about it.

"I'll go see about getting your lunch delivered alright? I'll be back." Alfred said. Arthur nodded.

He couldn't help but feel guilty that he didn't tell him.

________________

He had another disruptive dream that night.

He was running. There were screams all around him. Scream of rage. He heard his once warm Queen shout with disgust, shout for the guards to make sure he never came back. He didn't even mean to make them all so angry. He loved his home. He had loved his Queen just like everyone else.

And then, just like the last few dreams, he would come upon a dead end, surrounded by a wall of unfriendly trees. They loomed around him and he'd stop running. He'd crouch down in terror and wait for the guards to get him.

Only this time the dream was different.

This time, the guards never came. This time a great big bang sounded above him, and iron came raining down from the sky. He shouted, trying to get away, but he couldn't move. The iron was going to trap him-

Arthur woke up in a cold sweat, springing up in the bed. He huffed for several seconds , breathing hard, until he stared at the wall long enough to determine that it was just a dream. His banishment had already happened. There was no iron here to kill him. He was okay….he was alright…..

A knock rang out on the door. Arthur jumped, hissing at his injuries.

"Hey, Arthur? It's just me." A voice said. It was Alfred's voice. He didn't sound tired or disturbed at all, only concerned. "Can I come in?"

Arthur sat there for a moment, trying to get his breathing under control. Pain rang in his ears. He'd been having nightmares like this every night since that day, but of course, the iron part was new. He had hoped to keep the whole matter private….

"Come on, please? I know you're awake in there. You just had another nightmare didn't you?" Alfred's voice came again. "Please let me in. We can talk about it."

He didn't really want to talk about it,but at the same time, he already felt guilty for denying Alfred answers. He hadn't done anything to deserve to be lied to….and god, why was we starting to care how a human felt. Well, this human was quite different….

He sighed. "Come in." Arthur said, hoping it was loud enough to hear.

The door opened, and the darkness of the room was illuminated all at once by a large candle. Alfred stood in the middle of the warm glow, a worried look on his face.

"Hi." Alfred said.

Arthur nodded at him awkwardly.

Alfred walked in, closing the door quietly behind him. Arthur was thankful it was just them two. He had yet to meet any other humans in the building, and frankly, he almost didn't want to. He wanted to stay hidden, away from any of them. Alfred may have proven his trust, but for now, he was very weary of meeting other humans.

"You have been having nightmares, haven't you Arthur?" Alfred asked quietly.

"Yes." Arthur mummered, feeling guilt gathering at the bottom of his stomach.

"I understand. A little." Alfred admitted honestly. "You nearly died. I would be surprised, I guess, if you weren't even a little traumatized."

"I-It's not just that." Arthur blurted. Damm! Why did he have to blurt it out like that! Now he had to tell him! His pointy ears went pink.

"What's wrong?" Alfred asked, concern dripping in his voice. It sounded too much like he actually cared, like he cared how his magical guest felt. He knew he was perfectly excused to lie to any human, but this one, he just couldn't do it.

He looked away from Alfred's gaze. "Remember when I said I would love to go home?"

Alfred looked confused. "Yeah? I think? Why?"

"I-I….." A horrible feeling twisted itself inside him as he thought about actually saying what he couldn't do. He'd never had to say it out loud really… It hurts… "I can't go home. I can never go home."

Alfred frowned. "Really….? Why not?"

Arthur couldn't bear to face the humans gaze, but he could feel it there, staring him down with concern he had once thought very impossible for their kind to show to him. "I was banished, by the people in charge back at home. I was charged with crimes, and their punishment was for my exultation."

There was silence, and Arthur imagined Alfred was only just trying to come up with something to say, but the silence was painful for him. He had avoided dwelling on just how bad things were for him and now….he didn't feel quite as bad as the day it happened, the pain no longer was fresh, but it still stung. Badly.

"Arthur…. I'm so sorry." Alfred spoke. He walked closer, sitting down on the chair that was always near the bed. "I can't imagine how you feel. I'm so sorry…."

"You don't have to apologize. None of it was your fault. It was only mine." Arthur said quietly, not liking how much the human felt he should apologize. After all, he didn't get pressed with the crimes Arthur did. He didn't have anything to do with it. He was just a peace hunting human, looking after him.

"I just...that sounds horrible. Why did they do that?" Alfred asked.

"I was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time. I was framed." Arthur explained. "I never meant to do anything against my Queen, but on one of my regular visits to her, someone had murdered one of her consorts and…"

"You were blamed for it…?" Alfred asked.

"Yes…. I was simply unlucky enough to be a part of the real murderer's quick thinking." Arthur mummered. He would never be able to think of his Queen the same way again. Or any other fairies. He had never seen his Queen look so hateful. Never seen her rage blow like that.

"So, you really have nowhere to go?" Alfred asked. "I mean, what will you do once you're all healed up? Where would you go?"

"I don't really know. I've been wandering up until this point." He had no idea where he was truly headed. He had no idea where other fairy villages were, or where to go. He knew how to avoid humans, but that was it. He simply wandered throughout the country, sleeping in trees, and hiding his nature from anyone he ran into.

"That's gotta be tough." Alfred commented. He looked concerned, but he also looked a bit like something else, as if he was thinking hard about something. Arthur was starting to pick up on when Alfred was in deep thought.

"It is, I'll admit." Arthur said. "But there's really nothing I can do about it now. I just have to live with what has happened." He knew he had to fulfill his promise to Peter, but to tell the truth, he wasn't really sure how he would accomplish this. Perhaps he would be able to someday. He knew he would never stop trying though.

"Hey Arthur?" Alfred said. "You know...if you really do have nowhere else to go….you could stay with me."

"W-what?" Arthur blurted. What did he just say… no. He didn't.

"You could stay with me. You could travel with me." Alfeed proposed, giving a friendly smile.

"With you? No you can't just-" His mind immediately thought of all the humans that would be around him all the time. All the humans that would hate him. "You can't do that."

"Why not?" Alfred asked. "You have nowhere else to go. I promise it'll be okay-"

"No it won't!" Arthur protested. "What about all the humans you travel with? What about your work? You're the prince. They'll all hate you for bringing a fairy along."

"They're all on my side and even if they do, they have to follow my orders. I am the heir after all, they have no choice." Alfred's smile grew wider, warm and reassuring. "Besides. Most of my team want the same thing I do. They won't hurt you. You have my word."

Arthur was dumbstruck into a few moments of silence, where he wondered just what the bloody hell Alfred had just offered him. A chance to travel with him in his quest to pacify his citizens? This was absurd really. A fairy? Traveling amongst humans? It sounded so ridiculous.

"Do the other humans really want a fairy around? I can't stay here, surely they'd-" Arhthur began, already nervous at the thought of being attacked again, being killed, being burned with iron-

"Arthur, please listen. No one around us is going to hurt you. If anything, you will help my cause and I will be very glad to have you along. As for my citizens, I won't let anyone hurt you." Alfred said gently.

"But…." Arthur protested, but quickly shut it. Alfred had argued a good point. He supposed the only real problem could be his fears...but even so, he was so scared of the same thing happening again. He was so scared of other humans and their hate. "Alfred...I'm really not so sure…."

"I know you're scared." Alfred said. "But you don't have to be. I promise, as long as you're travelling with me, as long as you're with me, no harm will come to you. Not by my citizens. You are safe from humans under my care."

Safe from humans… that did sound rather nice….but impossible. How could he promise such a thing? Why was he so bold? And at the same time, he didn't have much else to go to. He had no home...and what if he got caught again? What if more humans trapped him… Alfred wouldn't be there to help him again...

It would be very reasonable to consider it.

He sighed softly. He really couldn't come up with a good reason to say no, but at the same time, he was still so unsure. "You promise….if I go with you, I have your protection against other humans?"

"Yes. Definitely!" Alfred said at once. "You have my word. We can even pinkie swear."

Arthur smiled a little, amused by the childish offer. He looked up, trying not to be wavered by Alfred's bright blue eyes. They were really something. He took a deep breath. "I suppose...... that kind of offer is too good to pass up."

"Yes!" Alfred shot up at once, a sudden shot of excitement filling the room. Arthur widened his eyes, taken aback by the unwarranted reaction. Alfred looked so happy. "Oh, I promise you won't regret this. I'll make sure you like it. Oh gosh-"

"A-Alfred please, it's not all that exciting." Arthur muttered, feeling his ears twitch pink again. This was really too much.

"I know, but this is kinda awesome, not gonna lie." Alfred said. "I'm traveling with a fairy!"

The fairy in question couldn't help but smile a little at Alfred's enthusiasm at travelling with a fairy, no matter how ridiculous and absurd it seemed to Arthur. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad. He really hoped so. "Where exactly will we be going through?"

Alfred's grin could light up the world. "Oh I can't wait to tell you. I have some big plans for my kingdom!"

Arthur smiled, the human's enthusiasm making him almost interested to hear it. It almost felt worth it to say yes, just for that expression on the other's face.

Maybe he had made the right choice.

____________

**Author's Note:**

> I have a discord chat!^^ we chat about UsUk and fanfciton and the endless fandom that bears no escape, Hetalia. You can also come ask me questions about my fics or things like that.
> 
> Link:  
> https://discord.gg/3ammmzZ


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